CHLOROBENZENES - Important intermediates in the production of pharmaceuticals, perfumes, agricultural chemicals and paints. Chlorobenzenes are produced by the chlorination of benzene.
CHLOROFORM - Produced mainly by the chlorination of methane, chloroform is used as an intermediate in the production of refrigerants, agrochemicals and fluoropolymers. It is no longer used as an anaesthetic. Also produced in the sink as a by-product of using Trichlorsan containing hand washing soaps in domestic chlorinated water

DIOXINS/FURANS - Dioxin is the term often used to refer to 17 variably toxic polychlorinated organic compounds consisting of 7 chlorinated dibenzo-p-dioxins and 10 chlorinated dibenzofurans. Of these compounds, the most toxic and thoroughly studied one is 2,3,7,8-tetrachlorodibenzo-p-dioxin, or TCDD. DISINFECTIONThe treatment of water to inactivate, destroy, and/or remove pathogenic bacteria, viruses, protozoa, and other parasites.

DISINFECTION BY-PRODUCTS (DBPS) 9 CHLORINE SPECIFIC - The products created due to the reaction of chlorine with organic materials (e.g., leaves, soil) present in raw water during the water treatment process.

ECF - Elemental Chlorine Free

ECOTOXICOLOGY - Ecotoxicology is the study of the harmful effects of chemical compounds on species, population and the natural environment.

ENHANCED COAGULATION -The process of joining together particles in water to help remove organic matter.

ENVIRONMENTAL POLLUTANTS - Substances introduced into the environment by man which may occur in quantities and concentrations sufficient to endanger living organisms or damage the environment.

EOX - Abbreviation for "Extractable Organohalogens". The fraction of AOX which is extractable by a non-polar organic solvent. This fraction contains the relatively lipophilic (fat-soluble) organic compounds. EOX gives a better indication of the amount of organic halogens susceptible to lipophilic absorption. It often represents about one tenth of the AOX measured.

FILTRATION - A water treatment step used to remove turbidity, dissolved organics, odour, taste and colour.

FLOCCULATION - The process of bringing together destabilized or coagulated particles to form larger masses which can be settled and/or filtered out of the water being treated.

HYDROGEN CHLORIDE - Hydrogen chloride is a colourless gas with a pungent odour; its aqueous solution is known as hydrochloric acid. Hydrogen chloride is produced by burning hydrogen and chlorine together and is also a by-product of the chlorination of organic compounds. HCl is used in the production of PVC and silicones.

INFECTIOUS PATHOGENS/MICROBES/GERMS - Disease-producing bacteria, viruses and other micro organisms.

MAXIMUM CONTAMINANT LEVELS (MCL) - The highest permissible level of a microbial or chemical contaminant allowed in water that is delivered to the consumer's tap.

MERCURY - Mercury is a naturally occurring element which is present in various ores. The major source in Europe is in Spain (Almadén). Mercury has been used for 100 years in electrolytic chlorine production.

MICROBIAL CONTAMINANTS - Microscopic organisms present in untreated water that can cause waterborne diseases.

NATURAL CHLORINE COMPOUNDS - Chlorine is one of the elements most frequently found in nature; it is even more abundant than carbon. Chlorides, i.e., salts containing chlorine, are one of the few raw materials which will not be exhausted within the foreseeable future, even if chlorine consumption were to increase.

Naturally-occurring chlorine compounds are present in our blood, skin and teeth, and chlorine in the form of hydrochloric acid has an important part to play in the digestive process. There are also organic compounds present in nature which contain chlorine; marine algae, for example, produce about 5 million tons of methyl chloride annually (i.e.: circa 15 times more than yearly industrial production). In total, more than 2000 natural organic chlorine compounds have already been identified.

ORGANIC CHLORINE COMPOUNDSOrganic chlorine compounds constitute a group of more than 2000 substances which are based on organic compounds (i.e., carbon-containing) with one or more chlorine atoms. The exceptional reactivity of chlorine enables it to be introduced into virtually all basic substances in organic chemistry. It is also very easy to trace, even in minute quantities. A large number of different products with a wide range of chemical and physical properties can be produced by selecting suitable reaction conditions. Organic chlorine compounds are important synthetic building blocks in the chemical industry, and they are also formed in nature in large quantities.